Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, September 10-Wednesday, September 16, 2026: Helms Alee | Thievery Corporation | The Frights | Funky But Chic | Pierce The Veil | Sessions Surf Fest | Arlo Park | unsane |

Okapi Kimara recently turned 1 year old. (Taken 9.9.26)

I'm gonna save my words for my diary post because at the moment it's still hot as balls and I'm selling merch for Far at the Casbah. Ryan Hall Yall and others say we should get back to normal this weekend, and I cannot wait. It was really fun going on my California roadtrip, but I can't help but feel deep concern for so many of the people I saw on the road who were vehicle dwellers because they don't have other options. Today I saw an unhoused man and his dog was trying to find some tiny bit of shade and it broke my heart. If the dude wasn't openly pissing on the sidewalk, I would've pulled over to offer them water. We just found out Toby has Covid, and several of Darren's students have had it recently, too, so he just got this year's booster and hopefully I can find some way to get it without insurance. When I say stay safe out there, there's always reasons. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, September 3- Wednesday, September 9, 2026: LABOR DAY WEEKEND | Leavers | SHĀHERI | Fools & Fables | Pire | Tijuana No | Fenix TX | Charlatans UK | DanceDanceToTheRadio | moondaddy | Sleep | One Loud Drawing | Manchester Orchestra |

Elk Grazing at Point Reyes State Park (8.28.26)

I had a pretty amazing adventure traversing Coastal California. As you could see, I ended up staying two weeks, which means I still did listings, my work newsletters, and managed my email on the daily, with a couple long work days/nights to try and really make sure I didn't come back overloaded with full inboxes. I'm posting about the trip little by little on my Instagram, but briefly I'll just say I stayed at four different campsites and our nephew's house in Hercules and a couple of random beach and street parking to sleep when I needed it. I went to four zoos (Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Oakland, and Sacramento) and maybe a dozen or more California State Parks, plus lots of time in Morro Bay with otters and sea lions, Point Reyes with Elk, and elephant seals in San Simeon. I also so sooo many wild birds, my favorites being magpies, wild turkeys, and ocean-adjacent osprey. 

Now I'm back and I'm looking forward to Friday night at the Casbah for Fools & Fables, and was looking forward to seeing Charlatans UK again (in case you don't know, they were my first concert ever when I was 14) but I got called to work for Jerry's Middle Finger, so that should be a fun night, too. Then next week I'll be working for One Line Drawing at the Casbah which will be super rad, featuring Jonah from Far and some local faces playing support. Also, in case you don't follow, the San Diego Zoo has extended hours until 8pm this Saturday through Monday, and SeaWorld will be open until 9pm on Friday and Monday and 10pm on Saturday and Sunday. I think you know where you'll find me. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, August 27-Wednesday, September 2, 2026: David Byrne | FEA | GLU | NAS | La's Wasted Youth | Built To Spill | Thee Sacred Souls | Muse | The Loons | Cancerslug | MCR | Pallbearer |

23yo Gorilla Dara Loves Her Cypress Tree at San Francisco Zoo

I didn't expect to extend my trip as much as I have, but I had a bunch of stuff I wanted to see and do in the Bay Area and it's nice to have a home base that has fast wi-fi and hot showers not run by coin machines. Camping was fun for my trip up, but just setting up a bed every night can become cumbersome. It also feels like we have business to take care of up here, but I have to tread lightly, so maybe its better for another trip when Darren can be up here, too. Since I've been here so long, now it just feels like a regular week of work, so I've been alternating between listening to and/or watching the Keffe D trial and the Lindsey Clancy trial. The former is kind of a palate cleanser of the latter. I spent most of the day today packing and preparing for my drive home, though I hear San Diego has been an oven the whole time I've been gone, so I'm not in any race to be home, especially since Darren will be working an OT shift all day Saturday. I'll be home sooner or later. But in the meantime, I did this week's listings. Enjoy. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, August 20-Wednesday, August 26, 2026: The Midnight Pine Farewell Show | Morricone Youth | Cheekface | Jejune | The Film Company | The Breeders | IV and the Strange Band | Wayne Hancock |

I'm on my roadtrip and am doing my best to stay offline, so if any venues updated, I won't get it in here until later. I'm presently in Morro Bay and just extended for one more day because I liked the first site I stayed at so much and I'd rather camp with a reservation than take my chances in Monterey at the site with no reservations. Anyway, hope San Diego is doing okay without me though I hear there's been no relief in the heat, so hope you're hanging in there. I'm gonna publish early because the phone app won't let me schedule for the morning. See you all soon. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, August 13-Wednesday, August 19, 2026: Black Heart Procession | Owl Be Damned | El Tri | The Sword | Interpol | Tijuana Panthers | Noah Kahan | Black Joe Lewis | Will Sheff | ILUKA |

Grizzly Pool Party at Oakland Zoo (10.5.25)

I did it!! Thankfully it's a little bit of a slower time in San Diego right now, but I did two weeks of listings so that I can go on my roadtrip and not have to lose a whole night of my trip trying to do next week's listings, though I'm not exactly sure how long I'll be gone, so the week after might be an issue. That being said, thank you SO VERY MUCH for the amazing Venmo donations I got last week!! I started this site 20 years ago with no real mission other than to share cool shit, photos and setlists from shows, and trying to plan for upcoming shows. I've had offers to fold or sell, been trashed relentlessly for not updating my design, for not monetizing every corner of the page, for my opinions and fire/pandemic/political coverage. I've been told "nobody reads that shit," even by friends, told that it isn't work, even as it got me every job I've had in 20 years: CityBeat, North Park Theatre/Observatory, DoSD, SoundDiego, and the Casbah, a position I've had for 17 years while sidehustling the others over the years. Anyhow, I wasn't expecting the donations, but they're super appreciated. When every other site goes paywall, subscription, or membership, I've just kept doing the thing. 

All that said, I'll probably post next week's listings a day or two early while I'm camping, but didn't wanna do them all at once because they're a bit overwhelming to scroll through -- but you'll hear from me as I travel. I may go dark from socials for a day or two, but you know you can never shut me up. And fingers crossed that they can get the Timber Fire under control, or I might have to reevaluate my plans and route altogether. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, August 6-Wednesday, August 12, 2026: The Technicolors | WILLIS | Judy Collins | Beach Bunny & The Beths | Tiki Oasis | Day We Ran | Old 97s | Kid Congo | Ani Defranco | Alela Diane |

St. Vincent & San Diego Symphony at The Shell (8.1.26)

I don't wanna say we're in the clear with the oppressive weather, but it feels to have subsided some and it doesn't feel quite as bad as it has. And frankly, seeing other parts of the country and the awful fires everywhere, I'd still rather be right here. Which is funny, because in my delusion and sleep deprivation after doing these listings, I committed to my next California road trip by booking a couple campsites up the coast. I gave myself enough time that I can cancel if necessary but still book before all the sites were gone. One of my favorite campgrounds is first-come first-served, so I'll just have to take my chances on that one, but otherwise, I think I planned a little better and am more cognizant of what I need to make it happen. All that to say, I will do my best to get listings up per usual the next few weeks, but if I can't pull them off, you know where else to look, I'm certain. It is very possible that I might start weaning the listings anyway, as it is a whole ton of labor for literally ZERO pay, and apparently LiveNation no longer sees me as a valid photographer, so I don't really even get free shows in return anymore. We'll see. In the meantime, listings are below. Stay safe out there-- I've been seeing a few friends are quarantining after getting surprise C-19 diagnoses. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, July 30-Wednesday, August 5, 2026: Ghee | The Paranoyds | Zach Bryan & Ryan Bingham | St. Vincent | Black Moth Super Rainbow | Tortoise | Sarah McLachlan | Eagles of Death Metal | Death Cab For Cutie |

Morning Yoga with Turtles at SeaWorld (7.26.26)

First of all, I wanna say that it was fun seeing everyone's Comic-Con adventures on socials, but I have never been so proud of myself for making the call that it was just no longer for me. I had a very low-key, (mostly) stress-free, week and weekend. I even made it on time for SeaWorld morning Yoga with Turtles. I've also been really feeling the itch for a roadtrip, so I've been bingeing camping, gear, hiking, and all related videos. I'm not actually going anywhere when the weather is this gross, but I'm gonna make it happen sooner or later. I'm considering tagging along when my niece goes back to school in NorCal so we'll see how that planning goes or maybe if I just leave on a whim. 

Meanwhile, as I was putting together these listings, it became apparent that we're moving out of the lull of summer and the touring bands are coming in full-force. My nieces can't stop talking about Zach Bryan, who plays two shows at Snapdragon, St. Vincent is playing the Shell with the San Diego Symphony (though I've seen BOGO offers on tickets because any ticket where you might actually see her are like $117, and the Port has made sure that FREELOADERS are no longer welcome. WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE DOING!!??? So much for Public-Private Partnerships), and then Sarah McLachlan plays the same venue on Sunday. We've also got Death Cab coming back on Tuesday, and the sold out Modest Mouse show at The Sound, and then more of our indie niche bands like Tortoise, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Tortoise, among others. I'm at the stage of life where if I can't be near an a/c or shade and a bathroom, I'm probably not gonna do it. I haven't shot a show in so long that now I'm getting rejected because my entire feed is orangutans and hippos. But you go on with your bad selves. 

I will give a warning that late hours at both the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld come to an end on August 9 (and I'm already freaking out about it), but maybe it will mean that I set out to intentionally explore more parts of San Diego that I haven't before. We'll see. In the meantime, stay cool, stay safe, and nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, July 23- Wednesday, July 29, 2026: COMIC-CON 2026! | Monophonics | What's Golden | Guantanamo Baywatch | Rainbow Kitten Surprise | Howard Jones | dashboard confessional | The Stray Cats | santigold

This week took extra long to do the listings because of course, Comic-Con is here. While I'm not putting activations and off-site pop-ups in this list, I will have a separate post once I get myself together to do it. 

What I did wanna say this week was that I did merch for DakhaBrakha on Sunday and it's always so rad to get to work for a band that is just lovely in every way. Their merch was organized, they treated me great, their show was AMAZING, and the proceeds from their merch goes to help organizations that work to bring aid directly to Ukraine. It was a beautiful night. After work, I drove up to La Jolla Cove and watched the baby sea lions for awhile before calling it a night. I'm already an insomniac, and now that I'm in a particular age of womanhood and San Diego decided to turn hot and humid on me, I'm enjoying the hours after the sun sets until it rises again even more than ever. Which also means that after a marathon Monday and Tuesday night working on listings, on Wednesday I went downtown and walked 6000 steps after midnight to see what activations I could find, either built or in the process of being built. Not gonna lie, I can already predict the spots that are gonna have crazy lines, but even a Prize Pig like me, who LOVES free shit, cannot imagine waiting in this week's heat for any of it. I'm not knocking anyone who lives for the Con and is truly excited by this week, but I'm not regretting my retirement from the press pass pool...hopefully some young person with influencer stars in their eyes gets to break in and provide coverage. More on that in another post. For now, here are the regular listings, with Con specific events indicated by SDCC. If you wanna see my full list of Comic-Con related events, go to my COMIC-CON PAGE HERE. As for me...I'll be keeping my vampire hours or sitting in the shade at the zoo or hiding in by the a/c vents in Wild Arctic at SeaWorld...as I do. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Comic-Con International 2026 Is Here!

Okay. So I've updated my Comic-Con 2026 PAGE  with all the activations and events I could muster the energy to gather. But more fun than that, I went downtown on Wednesday night around 11pm and drove/walked the majority of the footprint. I was done by 1:30am and even more crews were rolling out, so I'm certain many worked through the night after the bars closed. I got about 6000 steps on my little path, but that was with no sun, no people, no traffic, and no time constraints. Photos and such below. After the jump. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, July 16-Wednesday, July 22, 2026: San Diego PRIDE | Evanescence | Friendship | Mohama Saz | Low Cut Connie | Starcrawler | Alex Lahey | DakhaBrakha | Wic Whitney | San Diego Comic-Con |

Denny manspreading while trying to keep cool (Taken 7.15.26)

I really should've done these listings sooner, because it has been a week. I'm ready for a mid-summer rainstorm if I'm being honest. And not that little weak rain we got on Saturday (while Darren and I were birding in South Bay)-- I mean like sky-clearing, jacket-requiring cold rain. You would think I would just find a public Cool Zone and go work from there, but I'm stubborn and you should've seen my laptop, backpack, shade umbrella and supplies that I carried around on Tuesday to watch World Cup with the Orcas at Seaworld. It was comedic, if I'm being honest, but definitely a unique way to watch a soccer game and I'm glad I did it. 

As for this weekend, I tried to track down Pride stuff for the weekend, but obviously a lot of events spring up at bars and venues that don't otherwise host events year round, so I only checked a couple obvious spots. The same thing is gonna happen next week for Comic-Con. This is the first year I didn't request a press pass after more than a decade of going, so I'm not on all the lists and whatnot for events, parties, and activations, so I'll just have to dig around. I will say that other local guides do a pretty good job of making lists, but you can sometimes tell they have to reach a certain word count, so I'll extract the info into the easiest morsels that I can. 

And lastly, if you still subscribe to DoSD, good for you. I haven't been a part of the org for a very long time, and the people running the local part seem to do a good job, but Faye, yours is not the first live music event DoSD is hosting, Young Lady. Back in my day...

well, let's just say Marjy and I busted our asses to launch that site for a whole lot of people who weren't us to make bank. So yeah. Good luck with that. 

Stay safe this weekend. The MAGA fucks will certainly be out to harass and oppress the LGBTQIA+ communities this weekend, so be a good ally and if you see something, say something. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, July 9-Wednesday, July 15, 2026: Kurt Vile | 5SOS | Fresh Veggies Micro Brass | Chris Stapleton | Jim Rao Fan Club | The Farmers & Friends | Wynonna Judd & Melissa Etheridge | Dylan Leblanc | Afroman | Jack Botts | The Spits | Babe Rainbow |

6 year old Ama always loves to mug for the camera (7.6.26)

I was thinking this would be a chill week...I did most of my listings overnight on Monday thinking it would give me the free time to get more zoo time in since I didn't get much in the week leading up to Independence Day. But no. Not a chance. On Tuesday I had a whole situation where I found a dog in the alley and it became a whole episode, and then Wednesday I was up early for plumbers who have now found a gas leak and ended up working three hours longer than I expected. So. Here are listings. I probably missed a couple things, but I am jonesing for some zoo time and might actually still have time to see my gorilla boys. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, July 2-Wednesday, July 8, 2026: Squid Pisser | The McCharmleys | Gothic Summer Dance Party | Band Argument | Dance Dance To The Radio | Independence Day!! |

The Belugas were so happy to show off their new barrel toy (Taken 6.29.26)

I had gotten pretty good about starting my listings on Monday nights, so then I wouldn't have it bearing on my mind all week, but with it being Independence Day and also the beginning of a new month, I'm pretty checked out for the week. Like, I know I still have to work, but running ads this week is just a waste of money and effort because everyone else seems pretty checked out, too, and honestly, it's just too nice in San Diego right now to sit on a laptop for hours on end. Plus, it's just such a weird time in general right now...like 250 years is kind of amazing, and then it's black-clouded by the POS in office. I can't even buy a renewal for my Parks Pass without his ugly bloated face on it. So gross. So yeah. Enjoy World Cup wins, laugh at Country Fair fails, and enjoy your 4th of July, however you choose to spend it. And ffs, lock your pets in your house because losing them is a heartbreak that never really goes away. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. RIP, KD. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, June 25-Wednesday, July 1, 2026: Tim Kasher | Dawes | Tulengua | Maren Morris | OB Street Fair | Three Bad Jacks | Missing Persons | Kid Cudi | Anna Ballew |

Karen & Kaja Sharing A Bounty of French's Mustard (Taken 6.24.26)

I just haven't been feeling right this week. I guess this is life when you're born the year of our country's bicentennial, but ICK. Do not like. 0/10, do not recommend. So I I missed an Open Alpaca Ranch day over the weekend and haven't had a whole lot of Zoo and SeaWorld time this week, and , but the little time I've had still manages to fill my soul with the good good. I also had a couple merch gigs this week, with Skillibeng on Sunday and Aaron Hibell on Wednesday. I didn't get my act together this year, so I missed out on a few opportunities to hit the San Diego County Fair, but it's still going until the 6th if you're trying to make a day of it. The Casbah had a few announces this week and the Brian Fallon (from Gaslight Anthem) show nearly sold out in just a few days, so keep eyes out for an announcement on that front. The 4th of July holiday coming up usually messes everyone up and things get out of rhythm, and with it being on a Saturday this year, I don't expect any less, but maybe I'll sneak off to the mountains or something to get away from the noise. 

Also wanted to mention if you haven't heard, Tara and Dean Reis bought the bar on El Cajon Blvd formerly known as Cricket Pub. They've been cleaning it up and making it nice, but I just read that they're doing a Bar Pink takeover because Lorenxo & Barb will be in town. So if you wanna come hang out at the super fun new bar, literally across the street from my house, check it out on Monday. Like Bar Pink, it's cash only, so come prepared and then leave a 5 star review on the platforms. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, June 18-Wednesday, June 24, 2026: Neil Hamburger | Metric | Emo Nite | Deceits + Past Self | The Lemon Twigs | Bob Dylan | Heavenly |

Amahle & Guadalupe Pool Party Playing (Taken 6.18.26)

Darren was sick all weekend, so I took the opportunity while I was already going to Murietta to see the twinsie babies in their new home, that I would make it a whole thing. I was gonna camp, but didn't really like the camp facilities, and at that very time, my friends messaged that they were going to LA Zoo on Monday. I reached out to my cousin who gave me her house to crash and so it was. Only thing is I have felt behind all week because of it. So I'm happy to say it's only 2am and I'm done with listings, which means staying up til 6am yesterday was worth it and I don't have to do it again.
I'm hearing from many people that San Diego Zoo will be phasing out Nighttime Zoo, and in 2027 and beyond will only stay open until 7pm (instead of 8pm as it is this year, or 9pm as it had been in the past). Let me tell you that this will be a super bummer because the animals really come alive in that 4-8pm window. Similarly, I heard there was some sort of Grand Jury audit of LA Zoo and they want to shift from being the last City-run zoo in the country to a "public-private partnership". FUCK. I HATE "public-private partnerships". Somehow the Private entity always ends up being the winner and the Public part gets fucked. 

Anyhow, that's neither here nor there for now. What is up is that Friday is Juneteenth, and while I completely expect TFG to do something completely stupid, complain about too many Federal holidays, or some other racist nonsense, I intend to enjoy the shit out of a three day weekend. There's even a Juneteenth Birders walk that seems quite appealing. Whatever the case, there's a shit ton to do this week in San Diego. I saw some Friday event on IG but forgot to save it, so if anyone knows what I'm talking about, feel free to send it over. 

Stay safe out there (the respiratory illnesses are knocking people out right now, and summer World Cup travel is only going to exacerbate the problems.) Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, June 11-Wednesday, June 17, 2026: Monolord | Fruit Bats | Alain Whyte | Ásgeir | Switchfoot Bro-Am | Surf Trash | Searows | Taylor Hunnicutt | Fai Laci | The Dimes |

Half Brothers Tsundzu & Nipho Enjoying A Warm Spring Night (6.10.26)

I'm keeping it short this week. There is a ton going on right now...World Cup is kicking off with lots of spots broadcasting games for the entire run. I'd say avoid the masses and commit to Blind Lady Ale House...which normally doesn't do sports, but futbol is the exception and they have the games listed out on their calendar. It's also Fair season, so I included the big shows but obviously they've got lots of stuff happening all day, every day. We had a whole situation in my studio that had long been ignored, so Darren took the lead and handled it, but yuck...unoccupied spaces are a magnet for unwanted visitors...especially when used primarily for food storage. I've been pretty happy spending late hours at the San Diego Zoo and the animals have been...shall we say, "feisty" doing "it like they do on the Discovery Channel," if you catch my drift. This weekend Seaworld launches into their extended hours for summer and are debuting nighttime dolphin and orca presentations. So yeah, I'm keeping occupied surrounding myself with all the animals I love. I hope we've all recovered from the election and thank goodness that it appears LA dodged that Pratt bullet. What a fuckface piece of shit. 

Anyway, stay safe out there, especially as summer travel picks up and places get us more packed with people and all their summer snot. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, June 4-Wednesday, June 10, 2026: Quintron & Miss Pussycat | Racing Mount Pleasant | The Lagoons | Otis Kane | North Park Music Fest | Daniel Ezra Band | Messthetics | Paul Simon | David J | Monolord | Sir Woman |

Little Bear (Taken 4.18.26)

I've been so proud that for the past several weeks I was able to get my listings done by Monday night so that the rest of the week I can focus on actual work and getting out and about. That didn't happen this week and everything has just felt a little off all week, though it's hard to know if that's because I didn't do the work or I couldn't do the work because this week was gonna be a pit of suck. Besides the shitty election (voted for Becerra, but NOT looking forward to the next 5 months of campaigns and ads), we have an appraiser coming to our apartment on Thursday which is NEVER a good sign and has given me pure anxiety all week. Darren is a calming presence and talked me down, but I guess we'll deal with whatever that may bring when it comes. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to this weekend...I've been invited to shearing day at Hazpaca and I am hoping I can make it. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, May 28-Wednesday, June 3, 2026: Old Mervs | Kinky | Caskitt | Ringo Starr | Fiesta Del Sol | Egg Records Fest | Los Lobos | Foxtide | RnR Marathon | The Last Dinner Party | Mikaela Davis | The Human League | Allah-Las |

Rostam at Music Box, 5.27.26

There is such a strange feeling when you become acutely aware of time. Darren is in his final week of his work project in the mountains, and you would think that being home alone for four weeks, at least Monday-Friday, that I'd have this big swath of free time, but it didn't work out that way at all. Instead, I feel so rushed. I sleep in increments, 3 or 4 hours, then wake to work, then try to get back to sleep. Toby will be coming home from school soon and then my unusual schedule is just gonna really mess with everyone. Is Lestat's still 24 hours? because maybe I'll have to weave that into my life. 

At any rate, I'm just trying to keep up with all of it, and the Casbah is going bananas right now with fall and winter booking as well as filling out the rest of spring and summer calendars, so it's busy. And maybe election season's looming deadlines makes me feel a bit of anxiety, too. Can you imagine if either of the republican fuckers end up in the run-off? Gross. Anyway, I hope you find a good show or two this week, because there are some good ones, plus lots of free stuff if the budget is a problem. Don't forget to plan around Rock N Roll Marathon this weekend, as everyone seems to forget about parking restrictions and blocked off streets. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, May 21-Wednesday, May 27, 2026: Bike Anywhere Day | Nathan Raney | Dry Cleaning | Supersuckers | Swingin' Utters | Afghan Whigs | Mac DeMarco | World Goth Day | Broncho | The Paper Kites |

I was hoping to get up to Palomar to camp this week, but since it didn't work out, I'm just enjoying that I busted out listings early this week. I also understand Memorial Day is a day to be solemn and honor the men and women who've lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces, but Memorial Day has long been the unofficial kick-off to summer and I'm pretty much checked out and ready for a three-day weekend. There are a lot of great shows this week but I'm already overextended so I am not committing to anything. Also, don't forget to look to the sky if you're in the area, as SeaWorld kicks off their drone shows to replace their fireworks shows. Whatever you do and however you choose to spend your time, may you find some joy however that may come. 
Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, May 14-Wednesday, May 20, 2026: Holy F | St. Lucia | Emo Nite | P!NK | Daikaju | Electric Six | Ben Folds | Bob Log III & Strange Vine | Echo & The Bunnymen | Alex G | Babes In Canyon | Yumi Zouma |

Road Shadows at Palomar Observatory (5.13.26)

I tried to bust out of town this week, so listings were done on Monday. So I'm sorry if I missed anything. May is super busy...we had a great Mother's Day having a picnic at Liberty Station, my niece is coming home from college, plus lots of end of the school year stuff for lots of people in my family so things feel extra hectic, and all I wanna do is get 10 hours of sleep a night and spend my days among the animals. So yeah. But listings are done and I'm super proud. But also, the Casbah is crazy busy and we've announced like a dozen shows this week, so go take a gander and grab your tickets to some great summer shows that won't leave you bankrupt or taking out loans. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, May 7-Wednesday, May 13, 2026: Robert Lester Folsom | Gator By The Bay | Forester | Mrs Magician | Vincent Neil Emerson | El Ten Eleven | Avett Brothers & Mike Patton | Palmyra | Tyler Halverson |

Cousin Connie, Mama Rosie, Me, and Sister Christy at Gator 2015

Not gonna lie. I'm kinda feeling some FOMO this weekend. Back in the day, my family would all gather up our smugglers backpacks and beach chairs and head to Gator By The Bay. It was our Mother's Day tradition for many years, but that was back when comps flowed abundantly and if they didn't, tickets were like $20. We missed several years when my dad became too unhealthy to be left alone, and then one year lapse turned into two, three, four. Now we'd love to resume the tradition, and I understand the costs associated with throwing a festival of this size, but we are priced out. I hope everyone goes has a super great time and enjoys all the music, but we can't justify paying $400 for the family to just hear a couple zydeco bands. Maybe we'll just sit outside on the harbor. The cool thing is there are still plenty of other things to enjoy this weekend, from the Powwow at Balboa Park to the Viva La Musica festival at Seaworld that is included with admission. Plus, I'm gonna have to get some Darren time since he's been gone all week on his work trip. If you're planning on shows for the week, the Casbah's Thursday and Saturday shows are almost sold out, and Friday might sell out the night of the show, so get there early if you wanna pay at the door. Also, Plosivs tickets went on sale this week, and the tickets are almost gone. Grab them at the Casbah site. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.